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CHARTER AND BY-LAWS 



OB 



THE GERMAN SOCIETY 



0F> 



THE CITT OF NEW-TORK* 



VriTg 



A LIST OF THE MEMBERS- 



NEW-rORKt 

PRINTED FOR E. SARGEANI^ 

By D. if G, Bruce, 



1808 












3 



^'^o.'ok 



# 



PREFACE 



The German Society in the city of New- York was 
formed in the year 1784, at a time when the returning 
peace opened to America the piospect of a friendly in- 
tercourse with the maritime nations of Europe. The 
period had then arrived when many foreigners, encour- 
aged by the bright aspect of a western world, might be 
expected to emigrate hither. — It was foreseen that among 
the emigrants, there would be found those who on their 
arrival would stand in need of advice and assistance, 
especially if they were ignorant of the language of the 
country, and its laws. 

To afford relief to German emigrants, who might ar- 
rive under such circumstances, with a view to settle in 
this country, was therefore the primary object for which 
the society was instituted. 

The means necessary for carrying the design into ef- 
fect were small, in the beginning, being no other than 
what arose from admission money, and quarterly contri- 
butions of the members ; yet the most pressing calls have 
at all times been answered, and it is remembered with pe- 
culiar satisfaction, that in more than one instance the so- 
ciety have been instrumental, not only in alleviating the 
distressed situation of their countrymen, but also in de- 
livering them from oppression. 

As the society increased in members, and the migra- 
tion of foreigners, particularly of Germans, became less 
frequent, the institution was enabled so to manage its 
funds, as to acquire a small property in real estate, which 
%vas held in trust by some of the members. The incon- 
venience of holding property in this manner, \vas, how» 



IV 

ever, soon experienced, which induced the society to ap- 
ply for a charter, and which was granted by the legisla- 
ture, in the session of the year 1804. 

At present the funds of the society are chi fly invest- 
ed in Bank stock, and the quarterly contributions having 
been relinquished, the annual donations are nearly kept 
within the limits of the devidends. Any considerable 
increase of members would put it in the power of the so- 
ciety still to augment their capital stock, the enhanced 
revenues of which would enable them to carry more fully 
into effect, the benevolent design of their institution^ 



CHARTER. 



AN ACT, 

To INCORPORATE ThE GeRMAN SOCIETY 

IN THE City of New- York, for 

CHARITABLE PURPOSES. 

Passed April 6th, 1804. 



Whereas, Philip I. Arcularius,WiIliam Wilmer- 
ding, and others, citizens and inhabitants of the citv of 
New-York, associated as a society, under the style of " The 
German Society in the city of Nexv-Tork^'' for the lauda- 
ble purposes of assisting German emigrants, and to af- 
ford relief to other poor distressed Germans, and their 
descendants, and by their petition to the legislature have 
prayed to be incorporated, Therefore, 

Be it enacted, by the People of the State of Nexv-Tork 
represented in Senate and Assembly, That the said Philip 
I. Arcularius, William Wilmerding, Leonhard Fisher 
Peter Camman, David Grim, John B. Dash, senior, Phi- 
lip Oswald, Christian Baehr, Christian Schultz, John 
Gaessner, Alexander Fink, senior, John B. Dash, junior, 
the reverend Doctor John Christopher Kunze, Christian 
Wilhelm Wilmerding, Jacob Mark, Blasius Mohr, John 
Peter Ritter, Isaac Paris, the reverend Henrick Moller, 
Johannes Mehli, John Harbeck, Charles Newman, Henry 
Astor, George Gilfert, Carl Ludwig Camman, Doctor 



6 

George Christian Anthon, Edward Livingston, Sigismund 
Hugget, John Jacob Astor, Christian Matthias Heil, Da- 
vid Lydig, George Powers, James Hallet, Henry White, 
Doctor John William Zeis, John Philips, Francis Childs, 
John Speyer, Jacob Morton, Christian Rook, Stephen Van 
Rensselaer, Josiah Ogden Hoffman, Thomas Morris, 
Samuel L. Mitchell, George Arcularius, Henry Limber- 
ger, Philip Grim, Henry Ortley, junior, John Fisher, John 
Bartow Prevost, Alexander Von Pfister, Cornelius Chris- 
tian Westphal, Jacob Hauptman, Jacob Schieffelin, Henry 
Heisser, Frederick Shoenewolf, Johannes Schultz, John 
Morton, William Cammeyer, Martin Hoffman, Freder- 
ick Beinhauer, Hendrick Scherer, Jacob Bierman, Fre- 
derick Rausch, William North, Daniel Bowie, the rever- 
end George Strebeck, George Clussman, John Nicholas 
Crentzebach, Cornelius Hoffman, Joseph Sterlitz, John 
Miller, Edward Dunscomb, John Remmey, Benjamin 
Walker, Anthony Ernest, J. L. Steinback, Matthias 
Luft, Anthony Rutgers, Daniel Paris, Daniel Baehr, 
William G. Miller, William Gultzow, George F. Toder- 
horst, Nicholas I. Roosevelt, Peter Ritter, John Hone, 
Jacob Sherred, John Nitchie, Henrick Siebeck, Joseph 
Horn, Lewis Eigenbrodt, Charles Loss, Joseph Meltzer, 
and their present associates, and all persons being resi- 
dent within the city or state of New-York, who shall 
hereafter be members of the said society, shall be, and 
hereby are, ordained, constituted, and declared to be 
one body corporate and politic, in fact and in name, by 
the name of " The German Society of the city of New- 
Tork^'' until the first Monday in April, one thousand 
eight hundred and twenty-five, and that by that name they 
and their successors shall and may have succession, and 
shall be persons in law, capable of suing and being sued, 
pleading and being impleaded, answering and being an- 
swered unto, defending and being defended, in all courts 
or places whatsoever, and all manner of action and actions. 



suits, complaints, matters, and causes whatsoever ; and 
that they and their successors may have a common seal, 
and may change and alter the same at their pleasure ; and 
also that they and their successors by the name of the Ger- 
man Society of the city of New-York, shall be in law ca- 
pable of purchasing, holding and conveying any estate, 
real or personal, for the public use of the said corpora- 
tion, provided that the lands, tenements, and heredita- 
ments which it shall be lawful for the said corporation to 
hold, shall be only such as shall be requisite for the pur- 
pose of erecting a house or hall thereon, in which to 
meet and to transact the business of the said corporation, 
or such as shall have been bona fide mortgaged to it by 
way of security, or conveyed in satisfaction of debts pre- 
viously contracted in the course of its business, or purcha- 
sed at sales, on judgments which shall have been obtained 
for such debts, and provided also, that the amount of 
the real and personal estate which the said corporation are 
hereby enabled to hold, shall not at anyone time exceed 
the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. 

And be it further enacted^ That the officers of tlie 
said corporation shall be a President, Vice President, 
Treasurer, Secretary, and seven Assistants, who shall hold 
their oflices for one year, and shall be citizens of this state, 
and be elected on the last Monday in January in every 
year, at such time and place in the City of New York as 
shall be fixed on by the officers, or ascertained by the by- 
laws of the said corporation. That all elections of the 
said officers or any of them shall be by ballot, and such 
persons who shall have at any election the greatest num- 
ber of votes as President, Vice President, Treasurer, 
Secretary or Assistants, shall be deemed duly elected to the 
office for which he or they were severally chosen and de- 
signated by the ballots, which were given in at any such 
election. And the said officers shall hold their respective 
offices for one year, and until others shall be chosen in 



their places ; provided that nothing contained in this act 
shall be so construed as to prevent any or either of the 
said officers from being re-elected : That if any vacan- 
cies shall happen among the said officers by death, resig- 
nation or removal, such vacancies shall be filled for the 
remainder of the year in which they may happen by a 
special election for that purpose, to be held in the same 
manner as the annual elections, at such time or places as 
shall be fixed on by the officers, or ascertained by the by- 
laws of the said corporation. That Philip I. Arcularius 
shall be the first President of the said corporation, Wil- 
liam Wilmerding Vice President thereof, Leonard Fisher 
the Treasurer thereof, Peter A. Camman Secretary there- 
of; David Grim, John P. Ritter, Caspar Meier, Jacob 
Sherred, John Remmey, John B. Dash Junr. and Henry 
Heiser the respective Assistants thereof, who shall hold 
their offices respectively until the last Monday in January 
next, and until others shall be chosen in their places. 

And be it further enacted^ that in case it should at any 
time happen that an election for officers should not be 
made on any day, when in pursuance to this act it ought 
to have been made, the said corporation shall not for that 
cause be deemed to be dissolved, but it shall and may be 
lawful on any other day to hold and make an election of 
officers in such a manner as shall have been regulated by 
the by-laws and ordinances of the said corporation. 

And be it further enacted^ That all elections and all 
meetings of the said corporation shall be made and held 
at a place certain, to be fixed and determined by the by- 
laws of the said corporation, and that at all such elections 
and meetings of the said corporation so to be held as afore- 
said, thirteen members thereof including the President, 
or in his absence the Vice President, or in his absence one 
of the Assistants, shall be considered a quorum of the said 
corporation, and shall have full power to do and transact 
all business thereof. 



And be it further enacted^ That the said corporatioi), 
and their successors, shall have full power from time to 
time to make by-laws and ordinances relative to the man- 
agement and disposition of the estate and concerns of the 
said corporation ; and the regulation of the persons exer- 
cising the offices aforesaid. Provided that such by-laws 
and regulations be not repugnant to the constitution or the 
laws of the United States and of this State. 

And be it further enacted^ That the board of officers 
shall at least once every year on the last Monday in Jan- 
uary, exhibit to the members of this corporation an exact 
account of the receipts and disbursements of the preced- 
ing year. 

And be it further enacted^ That all persons desirous to 
become members of this corporation shall be proposed by 
at least two members, one meeting previous to his or their 
election, which shall be by ballot, and determined by two 
thirds of the members present at such election — that then 
he or they so elected, on paying into the hands of the Trea- 
surer such sum as the corporation by their by-laws shall 
direct, provided the same shall not exceed the sum of fif- 
teen dollars, shall have his or their names inserted in the 
general Register, and shall be entitled to all the privileges 
and benefits arising therefrom. 

And to the end that the funds of the said corporation 
may never be diverted to any other than the charitable 
purposes for which the institution has been expressly made 
and created, 

Be it further enacted^ That the corporation shall, 
within sixty days after the passing of this act, exhibit to the 
chancellor of this state a full and particular account of all 
the estate real and personal then vested in the said corpo- 
ration, attested by the oath of the Treasurer thereof, that 
the same is a true and perfect account ; and shall also 
triennially between the first and last days of May, ex- 
hibit to the chancellor forthe time being a like account, to- 



10 

gether with a particular account of all monies by the 
said corporation expended in the preceding three years, 
specifying the several purposes to which it has been ap- 
plied ; and if it should appear to the said chancellor, that 
any monies, except for the necessary purchases or repair 
of any buildings which may belong to the said corporation j 
or for the payment of the Treasurer or Secretary thereof^ 
or for other charges expressly incidental to the manage- 
ment of the funds thereof, have been applied by the said 
corporation to any use, other than for the support of in- 
digent emigrants and other German poor and their descen. 
dants, or other charitable purposes, he shall direct the At- 
torney General of the State for the time being ex-officio to 
file an information against the said corporation in the 
Supreme Court of this State : and if upon the traverse the 
said corporation shall be found guilty and judgment shall 
pass thereupon, that thenceforth the said corporation shall 
cease, and become null and void, and the estate real and 
personal which it may then possess, shall vest in the peo- 
ple of this State. 

And be it further enacted^ That this act be and hereby is 
declared to be a public act, and that the same be constru- 
ed in all courts and places benignly and favorably for every 
beneficial purpose therein intended.^ 

State of New-Tork^ Secretary's office, 
I certify the preceding to be a true copy of an Act of 
the Legislature, now on file in this office, 

[Signed] ARCH'D. M'INTYRE, 

Dep, Sec'y 



BY-LAWS, 

To BE OBSERVED BY THE CORPORATION 

OF THE German Society of the 
City of New- York. 



I. 

The Charter of this Society, the By-laws, 
Rules and Regulations of the same, at present 
made, and such as may hereafter be made, shall 
be regularly entered, under the date when agreed 
to by the Society, in a book kept for that purpose 
by the Secretary, who shall also enter therein the 
name of each member, specifying the time of his 
election. 

II. 

All meetings of this Society shall be held at pi^ce of 

the German Lutheran school-house, in William- meeting of 

^ ^_ ,j. 1 -1 1 the Socio 

Street, in the city of New-York, until other- ty. 

wise ordered by the Society. 

III. 

The elections for officers shall be held at the 
usual place of meeting of the Society, and the ^^^^^^^^^ 
officers shall be chosen by ballot by a majority of to be by 
the members present ; which election shall be ^ ° " 
held under the inspection of three members pre- 
viously chosen for that purpose by the So- 
ciety. 



12 

IV. 



Any vacancy which may happen among the 

officers of this Society, by death or otherwise, 

How va- shall be filled up for the remainder of the year by 

cancies are , . . , ^ r ^ 

to be filled ^ special meetmg, to be convened tor that pur- 

"P- pose, of which notice shall be given at least one 

month previous to such meeting, and the election 

for supplying such vacancy shall be held in the 

same manner as the annual election is held. 



V. 



Whenever it shall happen at any meeting of 
How per-tl^^ Society that a sufficient number of members 
ions may do not appear to form a quorum agreeable to the 
ed when^' charter, and application is made for the proposal 
there is no of a person as a member, the name of such per- 
' son may be handed to the officers, whereupon he 
shall be considered as regularly proposed. 

VI. 

All new-elected members of this Society shall 

pay to the Treasurer thereof the sum of fifteen 

dollars, at the time of their admission and sign- 

berrto^pay ^"S ^^^^ by-laws. And all members so elected, 

fifteen dol- who shall neglect to pay their admission fees 

^^^' within nine months subsequent to their election, 

(after being notified) shall forfeit their right of 

membership, and be thenceforth considered as 

not elected. 

VII. 

All business relative to the property belonging 



1^ 

to the Society, particularly the transferring of property, 

stock in anv of the Banks, or the sale of any pro- ^^^ ^° ^® 

" •'1 transfer- 

perty whatever, shall first be duly notified to the red or sold 

Society in one of their regular meetings, and pro- 
ceeded on in their next. 

VIIL 



The board of officers shall meet monthly or of- Board of 

tener if circumstances require, at such time and ^^^^ 

place as they shall judge proper, and not less monthly. 

than six shall be a quorum. They shall in each ^q^^j.^^ 

month appoint a visiting commitee of two mem- To appoint 

bers from their board, whose duty it shall be dili- committee 

gently to inquire into the situations and merits of 

such German emigrants as may arrive here, and of 

other poor or distressed Germans, and their des- Theirduty 

cendants; particularly widows and orphans, who 

may need assistance from this Society.' And the said 

committe shall report thereon to the President, . ^ *^^'^' 
^ . mittee to 

who may call a meeting of the board of officers, report to 
if he thinks proper, to whom they shall make a^"^^^^*^'' 
like report, and take the orders of said board for 
their further direction. 

And in case of pressing necessity the com- Donations 

. ,. . . by the 

mittee may present an mdigent person with a committee 

sum not exceeding three dollars, which donation limited to 

they shall report to the board of officers at their i^rs. 

next meeting. 

IX. 

The Treasurer shall, before he enters upon Treasurer 
the duties of his office, give bond to this corpo- i^^^j^^^^ 
ration in the sum of five thousand dollars, con- 



14 

ditioned for the faithful performance of the du- 
ties enjoined upon him. 

He shall receive and pay all monies belonging 
to this Society, and shall keep a true and regular 
account thereof. 

Toaccount He shall render uhto the Society a just and true 

for all mo- account of all monies received by him, belonging 

nies recei- , ^ 

ved. to the bociety. 

He shall make no payments of any of said mo- 
How to ^ies, except upon an order from the President, or 

make pay- presiding officer of the Society, or board of offi- 

ments. 

cers. 

In case of resignation or removal from office, 

To deliver \^q sJ^^U faithfully deliver all monies and effects 
up all mo- , , . 1 X . . 1 . 1 . 1 

nies, &c.tobelongmg to the Society withm ten days mto the 

his succes- hands of his successor, 
sor. 

He shall render unto the board of officers quar- 
terly, and to the Society on the last Monday in 
When to January annually, a particular statement of his 
account, accounts of the current or preceding year. 

X. 

The Secretary shall keep regular minutes of 
the proceedings of the Society, and those of 
Duties of the Board of Officers, and record them in the 
the Secre-pj.Qpgj. JQyj,j^^|g^ jj^ shrill prepare and send no- 
tices to the members for the meetings, cause 
advertisements to be published in the news- 
papers, and notify the officers, and new-elected 
members of their election. 



15 
XL 



The Board of Officers may appoint a suitable The Board 

person to be Messenp-er of the Society, whose ^° «^PP°^"^ 
^ . ° , -"a Messen- 

duties shall be such as the said Board may from ger. 
time to time order and direct ; and who shall 
receive such salary or other compensation as the 
Board shall think proper to allow. 



xir. 



The Society shall hold four stated meetings , 

annually, on the following days, to wit, the first meetings 
on the second Monday in May — the second on °|^JJ^^ ^" 
the last Monday in July — the third on the last 
Monday in October, and the fourth on the last 
Monday in January ; which is the annual meet- 
ing already established by the Charter of the So- 
ciety, 



RULES AND ORDERS. 



I. 

On the appearance of a quorum the President shall take 
the chair and call the members to order* 

IL 

If any of the Clergy belonging to the Society are pre- 
sent, the President shall request the meeting to be opened 
with prayer. 

III. 

Reading the minutes of the Society at their last 
meeting, and those of the intervening meetings of the 
officers. 

IV. 

The introduction of new members, if any be present 

V. 
Balloting for Candidates. 

VL 
Proposing of Candidates. 



18 
VIL 



Discusslonofsuehsubjects as may be proposed by the 
board of officers, or by any individual member. 

VIII. 

All By-laws shall receive three several readings pre- 
vious to their being passed ; the second and third reading 
to be at different meetings, unless the Society unanimous- 
ly direct otherwise. 



IX. 



Any By-law, Rule, or Regulation of this Society may 
be repealed at any regular meeting of the Society, provi- 
ded notice of a motion for such repeal shall have been 
given at a previous stated meeting. 

X. 

The President is to be obeyed in point of order when in 
the chair: he decides on all questions of order, subject to 
an appeal to the Society. 

XL 

A member speaking shall rise and address himself 
to the chair, uncovered. When two or more members 
shall rise at the same time, the President shall name the 
speaker. No member shall speak more than twice on the 
same question, unless by leave of the Society. 

XII. 

Motions may be made and debates carried on in the. 



19 

German or English languages : Any member may de- 
mand an explanation of the subject that has been debated 
or read, which the President shall give, or request any 
member qualified to make the explanation. 

XIII. 

The President or presiding officer shall have the nom- 
ination of all committees for transacting any business, 
subject to the approbation of the Society. 

XIV. 

No motion shall be debated, or put, unless the same be 
seconded. When a motion is seconded it shall be stated 
by the President before debate ; and every such motion 
shall be reduced to writing if the President or any five 
members shall desire it. 



XV. 



After a motion is stated by the President, it shall be 
deemed in possession of the Society, but may be with- 
drawn at any time before decision or amendment. 

XVI. 

A motion to adjourn shall be always in order, and shall 
be decided without debate. 

XVII. 

Petitions, Memorials, and other papers addressed to the 
Society, shall be read by the President or Secretary. 



XVIIL 

Whilst the President is putting a question, no member 
shall walk out of, or cross the room ; — nor when a mem- 
ber is speaking, shall any entertain private discourse or 
pass between him and the chair. 

XIX. 

All questions in the Society shall be put in the order 
they were moved, except that in filling up blanks, the 
largest sum, and longest time shall be first put. 

XX. 

When a By-law shall pass the Society, the President 
shall certify it, with the date thereof at foot, and the 
Secretary countersign the same. 



LIST OF THE MEMBERS 

OF 

The German Society in the City of 
New- York. 



When elect- 
ed. 



1784 



1785 



Oct. 9. 



Jan. 3. 



Members^ Names. 



Remarks 



1788 



John B. Dash, Senior. 

Philip Oswald. 

David Grim. 

Christian Baehr. 

John-Meyer. 

Christian Schultz. 

John Gassner. 

Alexander Fink, Senior. 

John B. Dash, Junior. 

Rev. Dr. John Christopher Kunze. 

Christian Wilhelm Wilmerding. 
Feb. 7. Jacob Mark. 
April 4|Blaze Moore. 

John Peter Ritter. 

Isaac Paris. 

Rev. Henry MoUer. 

John Mayly. 

John Harbeck. 

Charles Newman. 

Henry Astor. 

George Gilfert. 

Carl Ludwig Camman. 

George Christian Anthon. 

Edward Livingston. 

Sigismund Hugget. 

John Jacob Astor. 

Christian Matthias Heyl. 

David Lydig. 



Dec'd. 
Dec'd. 



DecU 



Oct. 3. 

1786 April 3 

1787 Jan. 1. 
July 2. 
Nov. 7. 



April 2 



Dec'd. 



^M 



22 



JV/ie?i elect- 
ed. 


Members^ Names. 


Remarks 


1788 


July 2. 


George Powers. 
Philip I. Arcularius. 






Aug. 9 


Henry White. 








John William Zeis. 
John Philips. 




1789 


April 1 


Francis Childs. 






J uiy* 1 • 


John Speyer. 
Jacob Morton. 
Christian Rook. 




1790 


Jan. 6. 


Stephen Van Rensselaer. 






July 7. 


Leonard Fisher. 
Josiah Ogden HofFman. 




1791 


x^pril 1 


Thomas Morris. 




1792 


April 4 


Frederick August De Zeng. 






Oct. 3 


Samuel L. Mitchell. 




1793 


Jan. 2 


George, Arculariub. 
Henry Limberger. 
Philip Grim. 






April 3 


Henry Ortley, Junior, 




1794 


Jan. 8 


John Fisher. 

John Bartow Provost. 






April 


Alexander Von Pfister. 
Cornelius Christian Westphall. 






July 9 


Jacob Hauptman. 






Oct. 1 


Jacob Schieffelin. 
Henry Heiser. 


i 


1795 


Jan. 7 


Frederick Schoenewolf. 
John Schultz. 






21 


John Morton. 
William Cammeyer. 
Martin Hoffman. 
Benjamin Walker. 
Frederick Beinhauer. 




■ 




Henry Scherer. 






April 1 


Jacob Bierman. 
Frederick Rausch. 
William North. 






July 1 


Daniel Bowie. 

Rev. George Strebeck." 








Anthony Ernest. 





4 



t.irf«. 



^3 



JV/ie/i elect- 
ed. 



1795 



1796 



July 1. 



1797 



1798 



1799 



Jan. 25 
Ap'l25 
July 25 



Oct. 10 



31 



Jan. 30 



3Iembers^ Names. 



Remarks 



1800 



1802 
1803 
1804 
1805 

1806 



1807 



George Clusman. 
John Nicholas Crentzebach. 
J. L. Steenback. 
Cornelius Hoffman. 
Joseph Sterlitz* 
John Miller. 
Edward Dunscomb. 
John Remmey. 
Matthias Luft. 
Anthony Rutger. 
Daniel Paris. 
Daniel Baehr. 
William G. Miller. 
William Gultzow. 
Jan. 30|George F, Toderhorsto 
Nicholas I. Roosevelt. 
Peter Ritter, Junior. 
John Hone. 
Jacob Sherred. 
John Nitchie. 
Henry Siebeck. 
Joseph Horn. 
Lewis Eigenbrodt. 
Charles Loss. 
Joseph Metzler. 
John L Werth. 
Casper Meier. 

Edward W. Laight. 

Peter A. Camman. 

Jacob Clinch. 

Clarkson Crolius. 

George Sassenberg. 

George Meyer. 

Anthony Steenback. 

John Sidell. 

John D. Miller. 

Daniel Fasch. 

William Klein. 

George Minuse. 

Jolin Luff. 



Ap'l 30 



Jan. 19 



28 



Jan. 27 
Mayl2 
Oct. 27 

25 
Jan. 25 
Oct. 29 
Ap'l 29 
July 29 
Jan. 27 

Mayl2 

May 11 



dec'd. 



^4 



014 205 576 4 ^ 



fV/ien elect- 
ed. 



Members' Names, 



180; July 2r William G. Miller Junr. 
ISOSJJan. 25 Philip E. xMulhenburg, 
Ferdinand HolterhofF. 
July 25 Balthazar P. Meleck. 
J Peter Loriiard. 



Remarks 



».■ 



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014 205 576 4 % 



